Friday, September 9, 2016

Bop, bop, bop … “Don’t you know it. That thing is trying
to sneak out my window.” Hubby said
referring to the balloon that kept hitting him in the head as he drove.The wind set it a sail inside our car; and no
matter how many times I grabbed the bugger it still got loose and headed back
toward his open window.

We were on our way to celebrate the career change of a
friend of ours, only she wasn’t so sure about all the new things she would be
experiencing.In some ways she welcomed
the change, but for the most part it scared her.

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back
each week to participate in the weekly challenges.God has been faithful and we expect His favor
to abound in the lives of those who chose to be Discipled by Jesus on Daily
Favor Blog.

You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.

It was a good time in the life of my friend and we wanted
to share in her joy over a celebratory lunch.After years and years of saving they were about to move into a new home.It was all coming together … a great home,
wonderful husband and the best career a girl could have.

Niree loved her job and was a faithful employee, even
though she had to travel a distance to get to work each day. Working for the company over fifteen years she
had made a load of friends from every walk of life.

The local community recognized her as a top notch gal
with a passion for people and pets.No
matter who it was she knew the clients of the business well.She remembered details about the family,
their names, their experiences and most of all everything about their
pets.

One day when she showed up for work Niree was informed by
her employer that there was going to be a new store manager.This wouldn’t be such a big thing except for
the fact that Niree was the assistant manager and wasn’t considered for the
position.With this unexpected change,
our friend looked for a new job and career move.

Through it all Niree wasn’t bitter and welcomed the
changes in her life with admitted reservation, but none-the-less gladness.In return the Lord showered her with great
favor, providing a better position with another company, higher pay, added medical
benefits and within five minutes of where she lived.

Forced Changes

The forced change in my friend’s life set a spark of
excitement in my own.After I heard of Niree’s
news I felt so full of joy I couldn’t hold it back. In fact the Sunday after I learned about all
the changes in her life I couldn’t sleep.I guess that sounds strange, especially since it wasn’t happening to me,
but I was so happy for her I stayed up talking to the Lord and reading the
Bible.

During my celebratory time I thought about the steps the
disciples had to take when they made their career changes.In the past I’ve talked about how scared the
first four may have been when they were asked to follow Jesus.Now the Lord was adding to their list of “called
out” followers, what further changes were about to happen to them?

How would these fishermen buddies fit in with newcomers? What else was Jesus going to pull on them
expecting that they “go with the flow” of His decisions, when clearly they
weren’t in their best interest (so they thought).

And Then There Were Five

Jesus
had recently returned to Capernaum when a man who was sick with the palsy was
brought to Him. As was His custom, Jesus
healed the man and sent him home, then kept walking on His way.

Not
long after Jesus went back to His street ministry of preaching.By now the town was packed with people
listening to what the Lord was teaching.While ministering Jesus noticed a man named Matthew sitting at the
receipt of custom office collecting taxes.

Every
time I picture this scene I imagine good old Matt setting up a card table on
the beach waiting for trade to occur at any time.As soon as there was a suspect he’d pounce on
the individual to “pay-up” on the spot or risk being sent to jail for not
settling the debt.

Actually,
the Bible doesn’t tell us if Matthew was in an "office" or had set up a table
outside to catch the ships as they came into port. One thing for sure, not too many people (other
than another tax collector) would be very friendly or receptive to him.To the general public, a person in the tax
collection business was usually dishonest, stole from the people and gouged
them with enormous fees making them pretty much among the most hated or
disliked people in the town.

Why
would Jesus even think of asking a thief or exploiter to join the bunch of
disciples?Regardless, Jesus gave the
same invitation to, "Follow Me". Without question Matthew got right
up and did as Jesus asked. Put yourself in that town when Jesus added another
disciple to His ministry and more questions start to arise.

Set
another plate, and another and another …

By
now practically everyone in the surrounding cities and towns had heard about
Jesus and the wonders He was performing. With only about 1,500 people in
Capernaum at that time I'm sure word got around quickly.

The
decision was made and immediately after we learn that Matthew invited Jesus to
his home (perhaps to explore all the details of what “follow Me” really
entailed).

Excited about even being
asked to be a part of this grouping, Matthew lays out the welcome wagon for his
friends and co-workers to join him back at his estate with Jesus and the
original four disciples.

Evidently
Matthew was quite wealthy and inviting Jesus over for a meal wouldn’t dip too
deeply in his questionably lined pockets. There were no left overs or skimping on the
portions either.It wasn't a potluck or
covered dish dinner hoping the neighbors would chip in to bring extras so
everyone could eat with this Man of Fame.

The
Bible informs us that Matthew laid out a grand spread of food calling it a
great feast sufficient for a number of guests.Matthew was throwing a party of sorts, and why not … he was about to
step out with Jesus and crew.

Too
Many Unanswered Questions

Knowing
the unpopular career choice I have to wonder, did Matthew really believe at
first or was he just curious? Had he
been waiting for an opportunity to speak with Jesus face to face about what the
Lord did, and how would he come to play in all of this?

What
about the other disciples? Were they
confused? Jesus had handpicked four blue collared fishermen to join Him on this
journey. Now He was going outside the circle of friends picking a white collar
worker, and a tax collector at that. What's
going on and won't a publican hinder the work?

That
Matthew fella is going to be a liability, after all nobody likes a tax
collector.He may know how to “hook” a
person, but he surely has no idea of how to fish for anything.What is Jesus thinking?

You
Figure it out for Yourself

The
banquet was in full swing when some of the guests saw an opportunity to
question the disciples while they were away from their Master.The Pharisees got in on the act by
questioning Peter, Andrew, James and John concerning why Jesus, a self-confessing
man of God, would eat with people like tax collectors and sinners. Making that statement proves the reputation of
a tax collector wasn’t very honorable and ranked in the category of sinning.

In
full conversation with the host, Jesus notices His chosen men being grilled and
bombarded with questions they seemingly don’t know how to answer.Quickly He bails the boys out with this
statement:

“Those who aren't sick don't need a doctor.
But you go and figure this out for yourselves and find out what it means.

I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I
am not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance."

(from Matthew 9:12-13)

Look at it in the New
Living Translation

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.

Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture.

I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.

For I have come to call not those who think they are
righteous,

but those who know they are sinners.” (NLT)

Can't you see Peter and the other three standing there
saying, "Yeah that's right. You guys
go and figure this out for yourselves. Don't let the door hit you on the way
out." Then after the Pharisees left, leaning over to one another and
saying, "What did He mean by that
anyway?"

The meal was over … guests had departed … and then there was
Jesus.Whether he realized it or not,
Matthew’s new career as a disciple had already begun.This could have been a great opportunity to
bring in the first catch for “fishing for men,” but he didn’t quite figure that
out yet.

This Week’s Challenge:

The Chosen Career

Something that crosses our mind when we switch careers is
the kind of personalities that we will encounter along our new journey.We get so used to certain “types” that often
we miss out on learning new things and making friends with “the least of these" referring to those who aren't exactly like us.

I encountered such a time when breaking in a teacher’s
aide.It took the longest time to get to
the point of being co-laborers with the same goals.Through the grace and favor of God, the
situation turned out to be one of the most successful teams I’ve ever had in
the classroom setting.

When we observe how, when and where Jesus called His
disciples there are certain things that string it all together.The “who” He called teaches us that Jesus
calls people from every culture, nationality, gender and career to be His followers.Anyone who believes in Jesus as God’s Son is
called to be a disciple to win souls, which means we have to consider any
occupation as a chosen one.

Our challenge this week will have us look at people as “chosen”
by Christ rather than a rich lawyer, doctor, sanitation worker, cafeteria cook,
poor man of God, laborer, writer, teacher or “just” a housewife (that one really gets me).All are needed and equally loved by Christ.

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field,

you are God’s building.” (1
Corinthians 3:9 NKJV)

View each career choice and individual as the person God
needs in that position for this particular part of the journey.Recognize the fact that not everyone God’s
places in your “group of disciples” will be people you always get along with,
accept or understand at first.

When you encounter people in certain fields of work, do
you automatically send out your radar as to how they “rate” as an individual?Do you think working in a fast food chain
scrubbing toilets or cleaning bedpans in a hospital is beneath you?If so, you’ll have difficulty fishing for men
to lead to the Cross, because you don’t see their value to the Kingdom and your
labor for Christ isn’t based on the love for souls.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and he who wins soulsis wise.”

(Proverbs 11:30 NKJV)

Why did the Lord turn things around for my friend?She is wise and honors God’s choices of the
blue or white collar workers that were sent across her path along her journey
with Jesus.Niree accepts everyone
without judging them by career status or standards, and stays focused on her
tasks.Her actions spring forth from the
labor of love for people, pets and the Promise Keeper.

“Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

(Psalm 35:27 NKJV)

Niree also believes in the red … the blood of Jesus that
forgives sins and all sinners who call on His name.Although Niree works with products that
pertain to all God’s creatures, she has learned how to fish without “hooks”
that harm.The combination has allowed
God to use her as a willing disciple of how we are to lead others to Him and not
away from Him based on prejudicial thinking.

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.

Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture.

Have you figured out what Jesus meant?If not, please be sure to visit Daily Favor
in the future.If so, your spiritual wardrobe has all the
right colors for receiving God’s favor in whatever career you have been called
to fulfill for your journey with Jesus.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment:

Love each other. Just as I have loved you,

you should love each other. Your love for oneanother will
prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.

Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible.Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.Image: Congrats BalloonLife SignJesus Calls Matthew Disciple Matthew's HouseDisclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.Career Change, Discipled by Jesus, Disciples of Jesus, Discipleship, Christian Living, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, God's Favor, Jeff Vanderstelt, The Great Commission, Career Moves, The Blue, The White and The Red, Calling of Disciple Matthew, Tax Collectors, Pharisees, Challenge.